Explosive composition and process of preparing the same



Io Drawing.

7 Patented July 14, 1925.

.unlrao sures PATENT j OFFICLC m! 3. BROWN, OF TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ATLAS POWDER comm, or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, a CORPORATION or nntawann.

' EXPLOSIVE COMPOSITION AND PROCESS OF PREPARING THE SAME To all whom it may ooncem;

Be it known that KENNETH R. BROWN,

citizen of the United States, residing at new and'useful Improvements in Explosive Com ositions and Processes of Preparing the ame, of which the following is a specivery.

erine and nitrated sugars.

No. 1,301,105) and the fication.

p ction ofan explosive obtained by disng a sugar or sugars in a mixture of glycerine and diglyce'rine and mtratmg the resultant product.

It is known that the addition of a sugar to glycerine gives a product on nitration similar to trinitroglycerine. However the freezing point'o this mixture is somewhat lower than that of' trinitroglycerine, and the cost is also lower than that of trinitroglycerine. U. S. Patent Number 1,301,105 lgranted to A. M. Comey, April 22, 1919 app es to the use of such a mixture of glycerine and sugar in the manufacture.

of explosives. It is also lxnown that a mixture of glycerine and diglycerine ves a product on nitration which is muc more resistant to freezing than either trinltroglycerine or a mixture ofv trinitroglyc- The manufacture'and use of tetranitrodi'glycerine is thesubject of U. 8. Patents Nos. 969,159

.and 978,443 issued to S. H. Fleming. By increasing the 'tetranitrodigl cerine content,

a li uid explosive can be. ma ewhich is practi y freeze-proof. However, the increase in cost on using a. nitroglycerine with such a high tetranitrodiglycerine content is quite high and the use of such an explosive is not economical. Various attempts have been made to produce a liquid explosive with desirable freezing) properties and a comparatively low cost y erine-sugar mixture covered b Patent lycerine-dlglycerine mixture (covered by atents Nos. 962,159 and. 978,443) either before or after nltration. The results of these attempts have not proven very successful for reasons given below.

The object of my invention, therefore, is to produoe a liquid explosive, similar in :M invention relates particularly to the rodu lvi gar content is reduced to 15%.

mixing together theeglyc- Application med September 15, 1924. Serial No. 737,915.

erine mixture containing a high percentage of tetranitrodiglycerine, and at the same time havin a low cost of manufacture.

NoW, 'I I ave conceived the idea of dis solving sugar or sugars 'in a mixture of glycerine and diglycerine and nitratingthe resultant productf It was mentioned before that mixtures of glycerine, diglycerine, and sugars have been nitrated and used before. Cane sugar was the principal sugaringredient used. The sugars were dissolved in the glycerine and thls glycerine-sugar solution was mixed with a mixture of glycerine and diglycerine. On account of the solubility limitations of cane sugar in glycerine, it is impractical to dissolve more t an cane sugar in glycerine. Therefore, when this is mixed with a mixture of glycerine and diglycerine the sugar content is reduced. For example, if mixed in a. 5050 ratio, the sugar content is reduced to 10% or in a (75 glycerine-sugar glycerine-diglycerine) ratio, the su- Now, by dissolving the sugar in the glycerine-diglyc erine mixture, which is the idea I have conceived, it is possible to keep the sugar at the maximum, about 20% and at the same time keep the digl cerine content to the figure desired. It as been found by experience that the maximum diglycerine' content that can be successfully mtrated under practical conditions lies under It has been shown by analysis that a mix ture containing 80% glycerine and 20% sugar yields on nitration a mixture containing about 84% trinitroglycerine and 16% iiitrated sugar. me and 72% glycerine gives on nitration a mixture containin 25% tetranitrodiglycerinc and 75%trin1troglycerine. It can be seen, therefore, that when these two mixtures are mixed together in a 5050 ratio, the nitrated sugar content is reduced to 8% and the tetranitrodiglycerine content reduced to 12.5%. It also follows, that if these two mixtures are brought together in different proportions, the nitrated sliiigar or the tetranitrodiglycerine content su ers at A mixture of 2 8% digl certhe expense of the other.

can keep the vtrated mixture up Practically the same figures apply to a mixture of nitrated glycerine and diglycerine on the one hand and a mixture of nitrated glycerine and 80%21 on the other hand.

y invention overcomes this, in that 1,

sugar content in the numto the maximum (about 20%) and vary the diglycerine content Within the limits heretofore'mentioned. If

for example, I should dissolve 20 parts of sugar in 80; parts of amixture containing nitrating 35% diglycerine and glycerine, a mixture of the following composition would be obtained.

yee n 28% iglycerine,

20% sugar.

This on nitration would give a nitrated product of the following approximate comosition:

57% trinitroglycerine.

25% tetranitrodiglycerins 18% nitrated sugars.

By extensive experimentation, I have found that this liquid explosive obtained by a sugar or; su ars'dissolved in a mixture of glycerine an diglycerine otherwise I resembles trinitroglyc'erine but has freezing resistance "approaching that of a trinitroglycerine-tetranitrodiglycerine mix ture with a high tetranitrodiglycerine content. This explosive can also be produced at a comparatively low cost.

I dissolve a quantity of sugar or sugars,

' such for example as cane sugar in a quantity of glycerine containing diglycerine. The mixture is then subjected to the action of a mixture of sulphuric and nitric acids. The nitrated product is allowed to separate.

' The waste acid is drawn off, the nitrated product washed with water and then washed with an alkaline solution to remove the last traces of acid. The'nitration process is almost identically the same as for nitroglycerine containing nitrated sugars. In the manufacture of nitroglycerine containing nitrated sugars, experience has shown the necessity of using a small quantity of stabilizer to produce an explosive with a satisfactory stability. Acetanilide, diphenylam have been used successfully as stabilizers. From 0.05% to 0.20% is required to produce a desirable stability. I have found that a stabilizer such as was mentioned before is also necessary to stabilize the product" obtained on nitrating.

sugars dissolvedin a mixture of glycerine anddiglycerine. One tenth of one percent of diphenylamine added to the nitroglycerine mixture gave a satisfactory stability.

In carrying out my process, the procedure, ma if desired, be as ollows:

xample I. Twenty parts-of cane sugar are dissolved in parts of a mixture of glycerine and diglycerine of the composition 20 parts'of diglycerine and 80 parts of glycerine. A

Example II. Eighteen parts of. cane sugar and 2 parts of glucose are dissolved in.80 parts of a mixture of 35 parts of di'gly'cerine and 65' parts'of glycerine.

Example 111. Sixteen parts '01". cane sugar,

2 parts of glucose, and Q-parts of mannose are dissolved in 80 parts of a mixture'of 35 parts of diglycerineand 65 parts of glyc erine.

Example IV. Fourteen parts of cane sugar, 2 parts of glucose, 2 parts of mannose and 2 parts of xylose are dissolved in 80 parts of a mixture of 35 parts of diglycerine and 65 parts of glycerine.

Twenty parts of any of these examples are nitrated with parts of mixed acid of thefcomposition'; sulphuric acid 55%: and nitric acid 45%. \Nhe'nthe nitration is complete, the nitrated product is allowed to separate out in washed with water at a temperature of about 50 C. The last traces of acid are removed by washing with adilute sodium carbonate solution. When the nitroglycerine is neutral, tl1cstabilizer is added. At times I have :found it necessary to wash the product with a solution of sodium chloride duce the moisture content.

I The salt soluof trinitroglycerine, tetranitrodiglycerine and nitrated sugars is then drawn ofi'ready for use. I have found this nitrated product -to have a moisture content and a stability comparable with that of a mixture of trinitroglycerine and nitrated sugars.

\Vhile I have described my invention and given detailed and specific examples, I do not limit myself to the four sugars herein mentioned, but include within the scope of my invention the dissolving of any sugar or sugars or mixtures of sugars 'in a mixture of glycerine and diglyoerine, and the product resulting from the nitration. I do not limit myself to the proportions given herein. I ma use different proportions of glycerine, diglycerine, and

sugars. I may use acids of different con- Having described my invention, what 'I.

v claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent the usual way. The waste acid is drawn oil and the nitrated'product' in order to retion 15 allowed to settle out andthe mixture 1. The PIOCQSS WhlCh comprises 'dissolving a carbohydrate in a mixture consisting of glycerine and diglycerine for subsequent production of an explosive by nitration of the result-ant product.

2.'The process which comprises dissolv- I ing a sugar in a mixture consisting of glycerlne and diglycerine for subsequent pro- 'a sugar in a resultant produc v3. The process which comprises dissolving cane sugar in a mixture consisting ofglycerineand diglycerine for subsequent production of an explosive by nitration of the resultant product.

4. The process which comprises dissolving cane sugar and glucose in a. mixture of glycerine and diglyoerine, for subsequent production of an explosive by nitration of theresultant product.

5. The process which comprises dissolving cane sugar, glucosennd mannose in a. mixture of glyoerine and diglyeerine fon sir uent production of an explosive by nitration of the resultant product.

6. The explosive obtained by dissolvinga. carbohydrate in a glycerine-diglyoerine mixture and nitrating the resultant product.

, 7. The explosive obtained by dissolving tglycerined.iglycerine mixture and nitruting e resultant roduct.

8. The explosive obtain by dis olving cane su er in a glyoerine-diglycerine mixture an nitrating the resultant product.

9. The explosive obtained by dissolving cane sugar and glucose in a glycerine-di glycerine mixture and nitrating the resultant product.

10. The exp-losive obtained by dissolving cane sugar, glucose and mannosein a. glyoerme-diglyoerine mixtureand nitrating the resultant product.

1 1. The ex losive obtained-by dissolving cane sugar, noose, munnose, und-xylose in a glycerine- 'glyoerine mixture and nitrating the resultant product.

12. The explosive obtained by. dissolving sugar in a glycerine-diglycerine mixture,

nit'rating the resultant product and adding a stabilizer.

In testimony whereof he aifixes his signature in the presence of two witnesses.

KENNETH R. BROWN.

With:

Ron 'H. BmwN. 

